


TechnoVision Book 1: Formation

by ElegantButler



Series: TechnoVision [1]
Category: Max Headroom (TV)
Genre: Bullying, Class reunion, Gen, Television
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 02:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16567727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantButler/pseuds/ElegantButler
Summary: Fed up with their treatment at the various networks they work at, Bryce and his peers decide to form their own network.





	1. Chapter 1

Max Headroom:

TechnoVision

 

#  Book 01: Formation

##  Chapter 01

 

The lights had been on in the research lab at Network 23 since two in the morning. The soft light of the television set was always on. Off switches were illegal and had been since television became a major political force in the world. But the overhead lights were also on, an indication that the occupant was no longer in bed.

 

Bryce Lynch rarely slept past three in the morning. His mind was so active that it didn’t give his body much chance to rest before dragging it back to the computer or chemical analysis table for another round of scientific research.

 

His body sometimes protested, demanding that it be allowed a few extra hours of sleep. But his mind just wasn’t having it. What if he decided to sleep through an idea and forgot it the next morning. He wasn’t exactly young after all. Heck! He was already sixteen!

 

He wondered what Edison Carter was doing at the moment. Probably sleeping as it was now only five. Edison wasn’t due in until about eight. Of course, as Network 23’s best reporter, he could easily walk in late, claim to have been talking to someone important, and get away with it. Which was something Edison almost never took advantage of.

 

Tapping a few keys on his computer, he accessed the next best thing to Edison.

 

Max Headroom.

  
  


“I was won-won-wondering when you’d call,” Max glitched cheerfully. 

 

Max had been created three months previously. Despite the amount of time Bryce spent on him, Max simply refused to see himself as anything but already perfect. So the glitches remained. Bryce suspected they would always be there. They were one of the things that set Max apart from Edison. That and the fact that Max was entirely computer-generated.

 

“So what can I d-d-do for you this fine morning-ning-ning?” Max offered.

 

“Well,” Bryce replied. “For starters, you can help me solve the problem with the blipvert effect. I was thinking about seeing if I can create a version that won’t be quite as lethal as the last one.”

 

“Not QUITE as le-le-lethal, Bryce?” Max jibed with a cocky tilt of his head. “You mean you want blipverts that are only-only-only   _ slightly _ lethal?”

 

“Of course I don’t want them to be lethal, Max,” Bryce told him. “I meant to say that I want to create a non-lethal version of blipverts. But the only way to do that is to add a disclaimer and once the viewers see it, they’ll switch channels.”

 

“Remember Whack-whack-Whackets?” Max asked.

 

“Are you suggesting introducing a video narcotic into blipverts?” Bryce asked, stunned that any part of Edison Carter would suggest such an illegal and underhanded tactic.”

 

“Not a narcot-cot-cotic. Not a narcotic, no,” Max corrected him. “More like a flu shot. Flu shot. Something that would lower the build-build-build up of electrical currents in the nerve endings.”

 

“Brilliant idea, Max,” Bryce replied. “The problem is, if the overseers notice anything imbedded in the program, it could be serious trouble for Network 23.”

 

“Not if you run it b-b-by them first. Explain what it is and why it’s so vital. If they say no, then you try something else. Something else.”

  
  


“If I were you, I’d jump to trying something else,” a female voice said from Bryce’s view-phone screen.

 

“Jenny,” Bryce said. “How long have you been eavesdropping?” 

 

“Nice to see you, too, Bryce,” Jenny told him.

 

“Seriously, Jenny,” Bryce replied. “It’s good to see you. Was there something you called for?”

 

“I just wanted to see your handsome face again,” Jenny said. “I’ve been thinking about you ever since our last little chat.”

 

“What?” Bryce blinked at her.

 

“Still the same ol’ Bryce,” Jenny chuckled. “I wanted to give you a second chance at the reunion. It’s tomorrow night.”

 

“The think tank, right?” Bryce recalled. “I just don’t get why a bunch of people who were only ten the last time they saw each other would want to meet up and argue for an hour.”

 

“We’re not going to argue, Bryce,” Jenny pointed out.

 

“Isn’t that what a think tank is?” Bryce asked. “People arguing and debating the pros and cons of new technology until they come up with something they think is better, but then gets swept under the rug by the powers that be simply because  _ they _ didn’t think of it first.”

 

“You’re too young to be so jaded, Bryce,” Jenny mock-scolded him.  “So, you’re still not coming then?”

 

There was a tone of disappointment in her voice. Bryce could tell she really wanted him to join the rest of them. Though he wondered how many of his former classmates would actually show up.

 

_ Only way to find out is to actually go, _ he thought to himself.  _ I could ask her afterward, but she’d probably just tell me I should’ve gone if I wanted to know so badly. _

 

“It’s a shame really,” Jenny told him. “We could’ve used your help since we’re going to be working on the technovision project.”

 

“Technovision?” Bryce asked.

 

“That’s what I’ve been calling it,” Jenny told him. “It doesn’t have an official name. Basically, it translates vidicam signals into computer-generated images. The upside of course is that you can alter backgrounds, turn live people into animations… the possibilities are endless in the case of entertainments.”

 

“Or pretending your reporters are on the scene when they’re not.” Bryce pointed out.

 

“That can be both bad and good, Bryce,” Jenny told him. “You wouldn’t actually want your weather reporters out in a tornado.”

 

“Point taken,” Bryce agreed. “Okay, I’m in.”

 

Jenny smiled.

 

“Simply because I want to point out the risks and flaws in the idea.”

 

“That’s helpful, too, Bryce,” Jenny told him. 

  
  


***

 

Edison had barely walked through the door of Network 23’s Control room when Murray approached him with an irritated expression on his countenance.

 

“Edison,” his producer told him. “My office. Now.”

 

Wondering what he had done, Edison followed Murray into the side office.

 

“It’s got to be stopped,” Murray said. Then he realized that Edison had no idea what he was talking about. “Sorry. I’m just so upset right now. How can they not do anything?”

 

“Who?” Edison asked. “What’s going on?”

 

“It’s Annie,” Murray explained. “My little girl. Well, she’s actually not really little since she’s actually Bryce’s age. She says she’s getting bullied in school. Her mother says that the school’s attitude is that there’s nothing they can do so they don’t even try.”

 

“As much as I’d like to just swoop in to the rescue there’s not much I can do,” Edison pointed out. “Bullies are a problem, that’s true. But if I aggravate them, they may behave more aggressively.”

 

“Just do something,” Murray insisted.

 

“You know,” Edison reminded him, “Theora spent some time in a state home when she was a teenager. I wonder if she went through the same kind of thing Annie is dealing with now. Perhaps she might have some insights.”

 

“Okay, talk to her, see if she has any ideas on how to deal with this problem.” Murray took a deep breath and let it back out. “Thanks, Edison.”

 

Edison headed to the door, then paused to make sure that it was okay to leave.  “I’ll do what I can,” he promised.

 

“What was all that about?” Theora asked as he joined her at her station.

 

“Murray’s daughter is being victimized by a bully or bullies,” Edison told her.

 

“And he wants us to do something to save her,” Theora guessed. When Edison nodded, she continued. “Edison, we can’t just focus on Murray’s daughter. It would be better if we found out more about as many of the kids in this city who are also dealing with bullies.”

 

“But if we put their stories on television, won’t the bullies retaliate?” Edison asked.

 

“We’ll have to focus on the problem without giving away enough details for the bullies to know they’re the ones being spoken of.” Theora told him. “It won’t be easy, but we’ll think of something.”


	2. Chapter 2

##  Chapter 02

 

The moment he saw the bedraggled look on the others at the reunion Bryce knew that he wasn’t the only one among them who was being overworked by their respective network.

 

A couple of them looked at him as if to say “You, too?”

 

One of them was drinking what Bryce assumed was a cup of coffee. The other had a cupful of amber liquid which he held up to Bryce as if in salute.

 

“Glad to see you could make it,” said Jenny. She sounded cheerful, but the bags under her eyes suggested that Grossberg hadn’t been treating her any better than Cheviot treated him.

 

“So,” Bryce said amiably, “tell me about the TechnoVision project.”

 

“We’ll get to that,” Jenny said. “Right now, let’s just relax and catch up with each other. It’s been six years since we last met. I’m sure some of us have a few things to tell.”

 

“How’s that kid of yours, Bryce?” asked a boy that Bryce remembered from his chemistry classes. 

 

“Kid?” Bryce asked.

 

“Max Headroom,” the boy explained.

 

“That’s right!” the one drinking the whisky said with a hiccup.. “You’re a mom, now. Congrats.”

 

“Thanks, Kevin,” Bryce replied, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t really thought about Max being his child. But he supposed it was true in a way. “Max is well, of course. Better than me at any rate.”

 

“I know what you mean,” Kevin told him. “The networks can be pretty demanding. And the pay stinks.”

 

“What pay?” Bryce asked. “I see a few credits once in a while for research funds if I’m lucky.”

 

“They don’t pay you?” Jenny asked. “Grossberg gives me a regular stipend. I suspect I’m being underpaid, but I’m at least getting something.”

 

“Cheviot seems to think giving me a bed in my lab is ample compensation,” Bryce explained.

 

“Sounds fishy to me,” Kevin remarked, starting to slur his words a little. He gave a yawn. “Sorry. Mr. Best had me up half the night with the usual request.”

 

“Keep the viewers glued to our channel,” the three of them said in unison. They laughed darkly, none of them finding it really amusing. 

 

“Frankly,” Jenny said, taking the glass from Kevin, “I’m tired of being treated like a computer. I have feelings. We all do.” she looked at Bryce. “Even you.”

 

“What can we do about it?” Kevin asked. “It’s not like we can complain to anyone.”

 

“We could threaten to quit,” said the boy who had finally put down his coffee long enough to speak. 

 

“What good would that do?” Kevin asked. “They know we could never go through with it. Not unless we wanted to become Blanks and live on the streets in the Fringes. Of course if we got really lucky we could always end up at the cardboard condos on Metal Row.”

 

“Where Paddy Ashton used to live,” Bryce recalled. When he saw the looks on their faces he remarked. “Friend of Edison.”

 

“Carter,” the coffee drinker said, thoughtfully. Bryce was certain that his name was Ted. “He might be able to help us.”

 

“I wouldn’t rely on him too much,” Bryce told him. “Besides, he’s part of the problem. I’ve also got to help him with his reports as well.”

 

“What do you mean you  _ have  _ to help him?” Jenny asked.

 

“Well, I did almost kill the guy,” Bryce admitted.

 

“You’ve made up for it many times over I’ll bet,” Jenny pointed out. “Stop feeling guilty. If you want to help him out of friendship, fine. But don’t let him hold that one time over your head.”

 

“Frankly, I’m sick of being overworked and underappreciated.” Bryce admitted.

 

“So am I,” Kevin agreed.

 

“As am I,” Jenny concurred. “But there’s nothing we can do about it.”

 

“Pity we couldn’t just create our own Network,” Ted remarked.

 

Bryce looked between Ted, Kevin, and Jenny.

 

“Why can’t we?” he asked.

  
  


*****

 

“It would probably be better if I went to the school to investigate the bullying,” Theora suggested. “Edison is too well-known. It might trigger some of them to see him. They might even act out just to get on television.”

 

“What will you ask them?” Edison asked, deciding that he could also use a cup of coffee.

 

“I thought about posing as a caseworker,” Theora admitted, standing up and going to the coffee machine. She poured a cup and took a sip, wincing at the bitterness. She added a little sugar and creamer and stirred it with a little flat straw. “But then it occured to me that might put people’s wind up. So I’m thinking of just going as myself. I used to attend the school that Annie McKenzie goes to, so I can just use the excuse of wanting to visit old haunts.”

 

“We could do a story on the changes in the educational system over the past ten years,” Edison suggested.

 

“That would allow us to pursue the angle of how student-teacher and student-student relations,” Theora noticed the look Edison was giving her. “I meant everyday relations, not the other kind.”

 

Edison nodded, setting down his now half-empty cup.

 

“I think that’s a wise idea,” he said. “Shall we run it by Murray?”

 

Theora looked at Murray’s office. 

 

“After we finish our coffee,” she decided.

 

“Good idea,” Edison agreed, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “In the meantime, let’s get a list of other schools and state homes in the area. It’ll look suspicious if we only focus on one school if we’re meant to be doing a report on the school district in general.”

 

Theora went over to her desk with Edison and sat at her computer. “Okay,” she said. “Did Murray say which school Annie goes to?”

 

“Come to think of it, no,” Edison replied. “She must go to the local public school, though, if he thought I’d know without him saying anything.”

 

“Or he was just so upset he forgot,” Theora said. “We can ask when we speak to him about the format of the show.”

 

“What are you just standing there for?” Murray asked as he approached them. “This is a serious issue.”

 

“You’re right,” Theora said. “It is a serious matter. Not just for Annie, but for all the students in the school district.”

 

“Theora’s right,” Edison told him. “And doing a specific story on bullying might endanger the victims if the bullies are triggered by it. So what we’re planning to do is a broad-spectrum story on the relationships between members of the student body and also the staff. Teachers can be bullies, too, after all.”

 

“And this report will cover the entire school district, I assume,” Murray guessed correctly.

 

“The schools and the state homes,” Theora told him. “I was bullied in the one I was at and I doubt much has changed.”

 

“Okay,” Murray agreed.  “That sounds like a good report. Oh, and you might want to ask Bryce how things were at ACS while you’re at it.”

 

“Brilliant,” Theora agreed. She tapped the code for Bryce’s view-phone. A message came up on the screen.

 

Bryce Lynch egressed. Location ACS.

 

“What’s he doing there,” Edison wondered, recalling the zipping incident of about a month ago.

 

“He better not be getting into any trouble,” Murray muttered, also recalling the incident where Bryce had tried to cover up a case of network zipping by a couple of students at his old college.

 

Zipping was the act of signal pirating. Not for an extended period. A zipper risked too much doing it that way. Instead they sent ten second visual interruptions through the various networks.

 

The things zippers sent through the lines were usually innocuous enough. But the interruptions annoyed viewers enough to make them change channels. The problem had gotten so bad at one point that a law was finally passed making it illegal. It was a crime punishable by law and a trial of Network 23’s You The Jury usually meant the sentence was rather stiff. Blank Reg had almost been executed for it by popular vote. Most viewers hated signal zipping.

 

“Max,” Theora called. When the construct appeared on her screen, she asked, “What is Bryce doing at ACS?”

 

“Attending his class reunion.” Max replied.

 

“I wonder who managed to talk him into that,” Murray muttered. “He doesn’t strike me as the nostalgic type.”

 

“Probably an old classmate,” Edison said.

 

“A girl,” Max explained.

 

Edison raised an eyebrow.

 

“I doubt he’s int-int-interested in her,” Max told him. “I think he’s more interested in report-report-reporters. Named Edison.”

 

“Don’t even go there, Max,” Edison warned, darkly.

 

“Ah, the great- the great- the great Edison Carter. Destined to break yet another heart,” Max emoted.

 

“Max,” Edison growled.

 

“I’m sure it’s only hero-worship,” Theora assured them. “I mean, Edison did keep Bryce from dying in that thermal chamber at Security Systems.”

 

“Which he wouldn’t have been in if it weren’t for me,” Edison said. “Anyway, we’re getting away from the point, which is to find out if Bryce would be willing to give us an in depth interview about how things were at ACS.”

 

“Bryce and maybe that girl Max spoke about.” Theora suggested. “What’s her name, Max?”

 

“Jenny,” Max replied.

 


	3. Chapter 3

##  Chapter 03

 

Bryce didn’t waste any time when he got back to Network 23. Determined to break free of the yoke of Cheviot’s oppression, he started packing the moment the door closed behind him.

 

“Taking a vaca-vaca-vacation?” Max asked.

 

“Something like that,” Bryce replied. “A very long vacation. And you’re welcome to come along.”

 

“When are we going to be back?” Max inquired.

 

“The day after my eleventy-first birthday,” Bryce told him, recalling the number from a dim memory from long ago.

 

“I didn’t know you were a hob- a hob- a hobbit, Bryce,” Max remarked. “That’s a long time. So I assume-sume-sume you don’t mean to return?”

 

“I can’t take it any longer, Max,” Bryce said. “Everyone expects the world of me, but none of them show me any appreciation. Edison says  _ Thank you _ but that’s all anyone does.”

 

“Where will you stay?” Max wanted to know. “You can’t-can’t-can’t just live on the street.”

 

“I’ll be living with others like myself who are fed up with how we’ve been treated by the people we work for.” Bryce explained. “We have a plan, which I cannot divulge at this time. But I can assure you that if it works out, all will be well.”

 

“And if it doesn’t?” Max warned.

 

“With so many graduates from the Academy of Computer Sciences working on it, it’s not likely to fail,” Bryce replied. “At least not too badly.”

 

“I seriously doubt either Cheviot or Murray is just going to let you walk out of here,” Max pointed out.

 

“I really don’t care,” Bryce retorted. 

 

“Bryce,” a voice came from the view-phone.

 

_ Oh god. _

 

Bryce turned to the view-phone. His boss, Ben Cheviot, was looking sternly at him from the screen. The old man didn’t look too pleased.

 

“You are not going anywhere,” Cheviot told him in no uncertain terms. “Have I made myself clear?”

 

“I am not your prisoner,” Bryce replied, angrily.

 

“You are my employee,” Cheviot said. “And as your boss and guardian, I am telling you that you are not going anywhere unless I authorize it.”

 

“This may be a bloody tower, and you may think you’re some kind of wicked king,” Bryce shouted at him. “But I am not a princess and you cannot keep me here!” He disconnected the call.

 

“He’s right,” Murray told Bryce from the doorway. “You don’t belong out there on your own. You have no idea what the world is like out there. You’d never survive.”

 

“If that’s true, then it’s his bloody fault,” Bryce hollered at Murray.

 

“Don’t swear, don’t yell,” Murray told him, making calming gestures with his hands. “Look is this about Edison?”

 

“What are you on about, Murray?” Bryce asked.

 

“Max thinks you like Edison,” Murray explained.

 

“Of course I like him,” Bryce retorted. “Even if he doesn’t appreciate that his requests often intrude on my time. Intrusions that Cheviot is always bitching and moaning about. I swear I’m sick and tired of the whole thing. I’m leaving. And unless you want to be sued for unlawful imprisonment you’ll let me go.”

 

Murray stared at him as he turned and started packing again. He grabbed Bryce’s wrist and pulled him away from the suitcase.

 

“It’s not safe out there,” he warned. “You’re staying here. That’s my decision and Cheviot’s as well from the sound of that shouting match I heard earlier.”

 

“This is so unfair!” Bryce said. “I hate both of you.”

 

“Bryce,” Murray warned.

 

Bryce put on his headphones and resumed packing.

 

“Bryce,” Murray shouted at him. “I know you can hear me! They’re not even plugged in!”

 

Bryce continued packing. Once he had finished, he turned around and headed for the door, carrying both suitcases.

 

“I”m not opening the door for you, Bryce Lynch,” Murray said.

 

Bryce ignored him.

 

“Bryce, listen to me,” Murray implored.  Once again ignored he shouted more loudly. “I said listen to me! You’re endangering yourself!”

 

Bryce opened the door himself and began walking out.

 

Murray slammed the door, almost catching Bryce’s fingers in it.

 

“What the hell, Murray?!” Bryce shouted angrily at him as he threw the door back open and headed for the elevator.

 

Once he was on the ground floor, Bryce went to the public view-phone and punched in a number.

 

“Ted here,” said one of the boys from ACS whom Bryce had met during the reunion. “Looks...ready….night….”

 

“Tonight?” Bryce asked. “I’m ready to go now. I’m not standing around here until sunset!”

 

“No…” Ted said, his voice choppy. “I asked if … umball… tonight.”

 

“Oh the scumball game,” Bryce realized. “Are you asking if I want to go?”

 

“The res… anning…” Ted said.

 

“I can’t understand you,” Bryce said. “This line is lousy. I’m on a public connection.”

 

Ted tapped a few keys. “Is that better?” he asked.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Bryce told him. “Now can you pick me up in the next five minutes?”

 

“I’ll send someone over,” Ted told him. “Do you want to join us for the Scumball game tonight?”

 

“I’d love to,” Bryce agreed.

 

“Great,” Ted said. “Jenny’s looking forward to it, too.”

 

“Who’s playing?”

 

“The Demons vs the Druids,” Ted informed him.

 

“Excellent teams,” Bryce said, as he was a Druids fan. “Mark Mason’s pretty good.”

 

“Didn’t he get injured recently?” 

 

“Yeah,” Bryce replied. “But he’s back on the field. It was only a sprain.”

 

“I’m sending a friend,” Ted told him. “He’ll be there in a few minutes.”

 

Bryce nodded. He watched and waited until he saw a man pull up in a small car.

 

The man who got out was tall. Looking at him from the ground up, Bryce saw that he was wearing cowboy boots which were quite expensive in the current economy. Tucked into these was a pair of torn jeans that looked like the man actually did spend some time on a farm somewhere. Bryce knew that these rips were made and not earned, so he was far from impressed. The shirt that was worn outside the jeans was light blue in color with pearly white buttons that were clearly not the ones it had originally come with. The buckle on the brown belt that separated the two blues of the jeans and the shirt had a picture of a bronco rider on it. 

 

“I’m looking for a Bryce Lynch,” he said.

 

“As far as I know there’s only one Bryce Lynch and that’s me,” Bryce said.

 

“Name’s Jake,” the faux cowboy told him. He looked at Bryce appraisingly. Good style. Good breeding if his job were any indication. Pity kids like this were so mistreated by their bosses. Bosses who thought that they were too young to recognize the mental abuse they endured.

 

But they knew better.

 

Oh yes they did.

  
  
  


\-------

 

“This is your first time, isn’t it?” Jenny asked as the scumball vehicles were driven onto the field.

 

“I’ve seen scumball before on TV,” Bryce said. “But yeah, this is my first live game.”

 

“Well, you’re in for a treat,” Ted told him as he passed Bryce a container of crunch fries.

 

Bryce ate a few fries and focused on the field. He could see the monster cars, and hear them revving up their threats and jibes at each other as the Druids and Demons prepared to face each other.

 

Mark Mason’s car was near the front in his favorite position. Of course the drivers could not be seen, but it was easy to tell which one was which by the design of their car.

 

Bryce leaned forward in his seat as Mason’s car took possession of the ball, nearing the goal with supernatural precision. “Come on!” he hissed. “Come on! Oh damn!”

 

A vehicle from the Demons’ had cut across Mark Mason’s, almost colliding with it, and pushed the ball out of it’s path.

 

“And the Demons take control of the ball with a spectacular move by Ben Briggs!”  the announcer told the spectators. “Mark Mason doesn’t seem to happy about that if that horn blowing is any indication.”

 

Indeed, Mark Mason had started honking his horn quite furiously.

 

Bryce had leaned back in his seat and was munching on a handful of crunch fries as the game resumed with the Demons in possession of the ball. Then once again the ball changed hands as on of the Druids cut across the Demons’ car and sent the ball into the path of Mark Mason.

 

“And Mason once again has the ball. Can he get it to the goal this time?”

 

Bryce nearly dropped the fries, which Ted quickly grabbed from him.

  
“Fry hog,” he muttered.

 

Bryce was too busy leaning forward intent on the game to hear him. He stood with the rest of the crowd and cheered as Mark Mason scored the first goal of the game. 

 

After a few moments, the crowd sat back down and play resumed. 

 

“Having fun?” Jenny asked.

 

Bryce nodded.

 

“Yeah, it’s much better in person. The Druids are the best team ever.”

 

The Demons scored a goal a short time later as if in defiance of this statement.

  
  
  
  


Bryce was awakened a few hours later in the middle of the night by the sound of the door to his bedroom being flung open.

 

“What the hell?” he demanded as he sat up.

 

Two men stood over him. They were dressed in black military style fatigues. One was holding a piece of cloth.

 

Bryce had attended enough science classes to know there was probably chloroform on that rag. And he was not about to be kidnapped. Especially as he suspected by anyone from Network 23.,

 

“You can come with us voluntarily if you like,” one of the man told him,. “Or you can come with us unconscious.”

 

“Go back to Cheviot and tell him that I will not be threatened or coerced into working for him. I have my own place and my own goals now. Nothing he can say or do will change that.”

 

Jenny and Ted rushed in at this point. THe three geniuses had taken an apartment together. None of them wanted to stay at their respective Networks,. And Cheviot’s behavior in sending out a trio of goons to catch Bryce and bring him back to Network 23 was a very good example of just why they felt that way.

 

“Back off,” Ted warned. “This is breaking and entering. And if you dare remove him from this house you’ll have kidnapping charges added. I’m sure your precious Cheviot will throw you to the dogs rather than risk his network’s reputation if we charge you with it.”

 

“He’s right,” Bryce told them. “Cheviot would rather watch you die than sacrifice his network under kidnapping charges.”

 

“We are merely here to retrieve property that belongs to…”

 

“I am not property!” Bryce told them. “I am an ex-employee of Network 23 who just wants to live their own life. Please tell Mr. Cheviot this and also tell him that he can go and…”

 

“Bryce!” Jenny exclaimed. “Ease up, okay. Look,” she told the three men who were each looking at the other two as if unsure how to proceed. “We just want to be left alone. Bryce isn’t going back to Network 23. None of us are going back to our Networks. It’s just not happening,. We’re tired of the abuse we have to take from them. If they wanted us to stay they should have treated us better.”

 

“Bryce,” one of them tried to reason. “We don’t want to…”

 

“If you didn’t want a scene then you shouldn’t have broken in in the middle of the night,” Ted cut him off. “You have no right to be here. I don’t even know why we’re talking to you. Jenny, call the metros.”

 

“She can’t,” the middle intruder said. “If they come, they’ll just take you all back to your own networks. We’ll say you’re runaways.”

 

“We rent this apartment,” Jenny told them. “That makes this our home. The networks would only be our places of business, not our residences. Therefore it would be kidnapping.”

 

“Very well,” the third man spoke up. “We’ll go.”

 

The first man opened his mouth to speak, but the older man held up a hand.

 

“She’s right,” he told the others. “We have no business here.”

 

“They’re minors,” the second one pointed out. “That means they can’t make contracts, including rental agreements.”

 

“Yet you claim Bryce is under contract with Network 23,” Jenny said, triumphantly.

 

“FIrst off, while they are minors in a few countries and therefore technically so under Network Law, they are considered adults by the laws of this country. Plus they were emancipated when they went to the Academy, so both of your arguments are invalid.” the third man explained.

 

He ushered the other two out of the apartment, pausing at the door only for a moment to speak to its occupants.

  
“I’m so sorry about this,” he told Bryce.

 

Bryce just stood there, trying to catch his breath. The break-in had put his wind up quite a bit and he was trying to calm down from it.

 

“Just go,” Ted told the man. “And don’t come back.”

 

As soon as the intruders had left, Bryce collapsed onto the bed with Jenny and Ted sitting on either side of him in a rather protective manner.

 

“Are you okay?” Jenny asked.

 

Bryce shook his head.  “Not really.” 

 

“It’s over,” Ted assured him.

 

“They’ll be back,” Bryce shivered. “Not tonight. But once Cheviot works out all the legalities, they’ll be back.”

 

“Then we’ll need to start working on our new network as soon as possible,” Jenny said, decisively.

 

*****

 

Edison was awakened first thing in the morning by the view-phone going off.

 

Crawling out of bed, he put on his robe and tapped the answer key.

 

“Carter.”

 

“Mr. Carter,” a teenage girl, most likely Bryce’s classmate Jenny said. “We need to talk. Last night three goons from Network 23 tried to abduct Bryce and force him to return to his studio at Network 23. We managed to talk them out of it, but Ted and I are convinced that Bryce is still in danger of being taken against his will.”

 

“Those are serious accusations,” Edison said. “You’re sure they came from Network 23?”

 

“They said so themselves,” Jenny told him. “Whatever story you’re working on, you need to stop and report something really important. Like the mental abuse being faced by not just Bryce but all of the networks’ Heads of Research and Development.”

 

“Where can we meet?” Edison asked.

 

“Network 23 already knows where we live,” Jenny said. “Come to the apartment. It’s still the safest place.”

 

“Alright,” Edison agreed. 


	4. Chapter 4

##  Chapter 04

  
  


The controllers turned in their seats as Edison stormed into the room and marched right into Murray’s office.

 

“It’s not just happening in the schools,” he said, slamming the door a second later.

 

“Edison, calm down,” Murray told him. “Now, what’s the problem?”

 

“I’ve just been told by one of Bryce’s former classmates that Bryce and his counterparts are suffering abuse from their respective networks,” Edison said.

 

“Just a load of teenage overreactions,” Murray argued, dismissively.

 

“Someone from this network tried to kidnap Bryce last night.”

 

“He needs to be back here at Network 23,” Murray pointed out. “Not shacked up with a bunch of teenagers in some nondescript apartment in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“Look,” Edison said. “I don’t care what you or Cheviot think. Bryce’s rights are on the line here. So unless…”

 

“Don’t threaten me, Edison,” Murray warned. “Your ratings may be outstanding, but that doesn’t give you the right to expect that everyone is going to just bow down to…”

 

“It’s Cheviot who’s expecting people to bow down to him,” Edison said. “Not me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a report to continue.”

 

“Fine,” Murray said. “But the subject of Bryce Lynch is over.”

 

Edison returned to the control room and joined Theora at her desk.

 

“Is there any way we can add the way the networks are treating the teenagers who work for them into this story we’re doing?”

 

“If we turn it into a story about the trials and tribulations of being a teenager in today’s world, sure.” Theora said. “Why? What’s going on?”

 

“Bryce ran away yesterday,” Edison explained. “He and his other classmates apparently got monumentally fed up with the way they were being treated and decided that enough was enough. So they rented an apartment in the city. THat’s all I know.”

 

“What will they do when the money from their final paychecks runs out,” Theora asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Edison admitted. “They’ll have to work something out. Worse still, though, Cheviot apparently tried to have Bryce kidnapped back to Network 23.”

 

“That’s horrible,” Theora said.

 

“Makes me almost wish there was another Network I could work for,” Edison told her. “Because I’m starting to lose respect for Cheviot and Network 23. Look, I’m going home. I need to clear my head so I can think this through clearly.”

 

“Maybe you should go and visit Bryce?” Theora suggested. “Not as a Network 23 employee, but as a friend. I’ll go with you, if you like.”

 

“Thank you, Theora,” Edison told her. “That would really be helpful.”

 

Murray came out of his office as the pair made their way to the door.

 

“Where are you two going?” he asked.

 

“We’re going to talk to Bryce,” Edison told him in no uncertain terms. “We think that his problems with Network 23 as well as his counterparts’ problems with their networks will tie in nicely to our story on modern teenagers.”

 

“Very well,” Murray gave in. “Just make sure you have something we can start off with tonight.”

 

Edison didn’t reply as he and Theora departed from Network 23.

 

*****

 

Bryce, Jenny, and Ted looked at the unusual building. It stood 95 stories tall, half the height of Network 23. It appeared to be made of steel and glass and not much else. 

 

The three of them stood there, wondering how it had remained standing through the Final War. 

 

“What is this place?” Ted asked.

 

“Our Network,” Bryce told them.

 

“No, I mean what did it used to be?” Ted clarified.

 

“It’s called  _ The Shard _ ,” explained Kevin, who had finally joined them. “It used to be the tallest building in the area until Network 23 went up. Come on, I’ll show you something.”

 

He led them into the Shard and took them into the lift. In a few minutes it opened again. 

 

They stepped out into a room that reminded Jenny of a terrarium.

 

“Level 69,” Kevin chuckled. He saw the remark had gone over Bryce’s head, as most such remarks usually did. Deciding not to comment further, he gestured around the space.

 

“I thought we could have our boardroom in here,” he said. “We can’t use a wall-mounted TV of course, but we could get a standing set and place it at the end of the table.”

 

“It’ll be a miracle if anything other than the lift works,” Bryce remarked.

 

“Not really,” Kevin told them. “I fixed the lift myself this morning. Don’t worry, it was just a minor electrical problem. Just had to get the juice going again. We’ll work on the rest of the power once we get the furniture in.”

 

“And what about the connection to the System?” Jenny wanted to know.

 

“Again, let’s concentrate on getting the furniture set up. That’s first,” Kevin said. “Then we’ll make preparations to turn the building back on.”

 

“Okay, then. For now, let’s head back home and decide who we want to contact to be our entertainment,” Bryce suggested. 

 

“First we need to know what we’re signing them up for,” Jenny pointed out.

 

“We can work out that around them,” Bryce pointed out as they stepped back into the lift and began their descent to the ground floor. “Now, what about Tad Greenly?”

 

“Missile Mike?” Ted asked. “What would we have him to?”

 

“Well,” Bryce reminded them. “He was a voice actor for a few years before the Missile Mike series started. Perhaps he would be willing to work on another animated series.”

 

“A superhero cartoon,” Jenny suggested.

 

“An educational show,” Kevin added.

 

“A combination of both,” Ted offered.

 

“Brilliant!” they all agreed.  

 

“Now,” Jenny said, “who do we get for the news?”

 

Bryce grinned.

 

*****

Edison rang the bell at the door of the apartment where Bryce lived with Jenny and Ted. He tried knocking. There was no answer either time. 

 

“Maybe he’s not home,” Theora suggested.

 

“Where would he be?” Edison asked, half to himself. “Theora, where would you go if you were Bryce?”

 

“Well, we know he’s with at least one other teenager who’s also a genius,” Theora pointed out. “Maybe they went shopping?”

 

“Good suggestion,” Edison agreed. “But shopping for what?”

 

“Well,” Theora said, thoughtfully. “We know they were at ACS recently for their class reunion. Maybe they decided to work on a project together and it’s still incomplete.”

 

“And you think they left the networks to pursue this project, whatever it is?” Edison asked.

 

“The networks don’t tend to leave them much time for personal projects,” Theora pointed out. “But I don’t think that’s the reason they left.”

 

They were halfway to the car when Bryce called out to them.

 

“Edison! Theora! Just the pair I was hoping to see,” he made a gesture to the two other teenagers he was walking with to wait for him, then joined Edison and Theora.

 

“Who’s that?” Edison asked him.

 

“Ted and Jenny,” Bryce explained. “They were my classmates back at ACS. Edison, I have a proposition for you.”

 

Edison raised an eyebrow.

 

“How would you like to work for me?” Bryce offered.

 

“Work for you?” Edison asked. “In what capacity?”

 

“As a field reporter, of course,” Bryce said. “The network probably won’t be ready to go on air for another couple of months, mind you. We’re just putting our schedule together.” he turned to Theora. “We wouldn’t mind hiring you on in a dual capacity. When Edison is on air, of course you’d be acting as his controller. But we’d also like you on as a talk show host. I liked the way you handled Peller during the incident with the Blanks. You’re a strong person, Theora. I know you can tackle the tough interviews.”

 

“Thank you, Bryce,” Theora said. “Have you found a place to broadcast from?”

 

Bryce smiled at them.

 

“Ever hear of  _ The Shard _ ?”

 

“You’re setting up your network there?” Edison asked.

 

“We’re working on getting it up and running as far as the electricity and plumbing are concerned,” Bryce explained. “Come, I’ll introduce you to the others.”

 

Edison and Theora followed Bryce to where his friends were waiting.

 

“Edison and Theora, this is Jenny, Kevin, and Ted,” Bryce introduced everyone. 

 

After a flurry of  _ nice to meet yous _ Edison asked.

 

“And you all work for major networks?”

 

“We used to,” Kevin said.

 

“If they wanted us to continue working, the should have respected up more,” Ted said, expressing the group’s general opinion on the matter. “We did everything we could for those people. And all we got was late paychecks, if we got them at all, constantly being woken up in the middle of the night….”

 

“Frankly we’re sick to death of it.” Jenny pointed out. “That’s why we decided to create our own network. One that’s not only respectable, it’s also respectFUL.”

 

“We’re putting together…” Bryce began.

 

“Hold on,” Edison said. “If this is going to be a long conversation, perhaps we should find somewhere to sit and eat while we talk?”

 

“We can go to the Fresh Start,” Theora offered. “It’s a bit nicer than Zik Zak.”

 

“We’re trying to save what few credits we have left to get the network started,” Ted pointed out.

 

“It’s okay,” Theora told them. “My brother works there. It’ll be my treat.”

 

“Thanks, Theora,” Bryce said, by way of agreeing with her.

 

*****

 

Shawn Jones walked up to his sister’s table as soon as he saw her.

 

“Afternoon, Theora,” he said, smiling. “Who are your friends?”

 

“Shawn,” she introduced, “You of course already know Edison. This is Bryce, Jenny, Kevin, and Ted.”

 

“Nice to meet all of you,” Shawn told them. “I’ll give you a chance to look at the menu screen and be back when your order is ready.”

 

“Thank you,” Theora said as Shawn headed back toward the kitchen.

 

Edison turned to Bryce. 

  
“Do you really think you guys can handle an entire network by yourselves?”

 

“We don’t have a choice,” Bryce explained. “Television is just about all we know. It’s all anyone knows.”

 

“It’s not a question of knowledge,” Edison pointed out. “It’s a question of  _ do you know what to do with that knowledge. _ I know that a car has a motor, but I would make a lousy mechanic.”

 

“I get your point,” Bryce told him. “But we’ve already bought the Shard and the movers will be bringing the furniture in two days.”

 

“So, you’re committed, then?” Theora said. “In that case, we should really be talking to Blank Bruno. I have the feeling that he’ll be able to help.”

 

“We’re trying to get away from being treated unfairly by older people,” Bryce reminded her. “I’d rather not risk leaving one tyrant and being forced under the rule of another.”

 

“Then don’t take him on as a board member,” Edison suggested. “Take him on as an advisor.”

 

“Okay, we’ll talk to him,” Jenny agreed.

 

“Good,” Edison said. “Now, what’s your lineup going to be? Have you thought of anyone besides me and Theora?”

 

“Tad Greenly, if he’ll agree to sign on,” Ted said. “Bryce thinks he’ll make a good voice for our cartoon lineup.”

 

“What type of cartoons?” Edison asked, perusing the menu along with the rest of them.

 

“Superheroes,” Bryce explained.

 

“You’ll need more of a variety if you’re going to keep your viewers,” Theora told them. “You may wish to add a few cartoons for younger viewers, or even more types for older viewers. A little anime would not go amiss either.”

 

“What do you mean more types?” asked Ted.

 

“Well,” Theora replied, “there are sitcom style cartoons, slapstick, and in the case of anime even romantic animations of all kinds of ratings. Of course you’re limited by censor board, but it still gives you a pretty big list to work with. I’d put the sitcom animations on at around five or five thirty if I were you. It’s a good viewing time. Most kids have finished their homework and the parents have dinner warming in the oven but not quite ready. It’ll give them time to sit together.”

 

“We were planning to start our animation block at around three,” Bryce told her.

 

“That could work,” Edison told him. “But you’ll need to put toddler animation on between three and four to give the older children time for their homework. Wait a minute! What am I saying?”

 

“Sounds like you think this network of theirs might pan out after all,” Theora told him.

 

“Are we ready to order?” Edison asked.

 

The others nodded. Edison pressed the menu and a voice sounded through it.

 

“Welcome to the Fresh Start,” she said, “What would you like to have?”

 

“I’d like the seafood stew,” Theora decided.

 

“Chicken florentine,” Edison added.

 

“Tuna melt,” was Jenny’s order.

 

Bryce ordered  “biscuits and gravy.”

 

And finally Ted ordered “buffalo chicken wings, medium heat.”

 

They all ordered waters for drinks and then set back to wait for their orders.

 

When the meals came, they ate in silence, each of them thinking about their plans for the new network.

 

“You know,” Theora said as she finished her stew, “you’ll need to come up with a name for your network.”

 

“TechnoVision,” Bryce suggested. “It’s not really my idea. It comes from the name of a project we were working on when we came up with the idea of running our own network. It’s really Jenny’s.”

 

“That’s a good idea,” Jenny agreed, smiling at him.

 

Edison had the sneaking suspicion that Jenny had a crush on Bryce. He also suspected that Theora thought so as well. She was going to be disappointed if she was waiting for him to reciprocate. Unless, of course, Bryce was playing for both teams.

 

_ Okay, Edison, just stick to the point at hand. This no time for speculating about Bryce’s feelings toward anyone. _

 

“Bryce,” Edison said. “Is there anyone else you have in mind?”

 

“We haven’t come up with anyone outside you, Theora, and Mr. Greenly,” Bryce admitted. “At least, not anyone famous. And those people will be hard to come by.”

 

“You could always try the talent market,” Theora suggested. “They do runs on Mondays and Thursdays. You might not be able to compete for the big names, but there will be unknowns who are looking for anyone who will take them. Who knows, you might find an underground hit?”

 

“It’s worth a shot,” Ted agreed.

 

“So what time on Mondays and Thursdays do they open?”

 

“Ten AM. After all the networks have finished with their first news block,” Theora told them. “It feature entertainment from the Drama, SItcom, News, Parody, Gameshow, and Children's’ Show genres.”

 

“That’s perfect, Theora,” Bryce said by way of praising her. “So, do they present the talent only or…?”

 

“Each person or group presents them self and their idea or ideas for a show,” Theora explained. “You get an entire show out of the deal which you and your network can work out the details of before you hire the person to see if it works out for you.”

 

“Thursday is tomorrow,” Jenny pointed out. “How do we register as a new Network with them?”

 

\-------------------


	5. Chapter 5

##  Chapter 05

 

Theora looked at the lily on the table in her kitchen.

 

The lily. It symbolized innocence. Something that Bryce Lynch and his friends had in abundance. She hoped they knew what they were doing. As teenagers, their minds were still fresh and pure, though they were also slightly tainted by the treatment that Cheviot and the other network bosses had subjected them too.

 

She watched the lily for a moment longer before she turned on the coffeemaker and set it for the morning. Then, she went into the living room/bedroom and turned up the sound on the TV. 

 

The Polly Show was on, a repeat episode, since Edison had not put out any content for the night’s show.

 

She watched it and wondered if there was anyone who really paid attention. She also wondered about whether she should accept Bryce’s invitation to work for TechnoVision. If they worked it out just right, it would be a breath of fresh air from all the normal networks out there. But if not…

 

Well, she would just have to risk it, she supposed. If she and Edison took up jobs there, they knew that Bryce and his friends would treat them well. At least they didn’t look at viewers as products.

 

\-----

  
  


Bryce stood on the observation deck of the Shard and looked out the window.

 

The moon shone through the clouds, the hazy light barely visible at street level, but brilliant here above all the lights. 

 

Bryce watched ti and thought back to the days when he attended ACS. It had been so much simpler then. He had been looking forward to starting work at Network 23, one of the lesser networks at the time, as had been the others that his classmates would soon be working for. 

 

He had done so much to make Network 23 what it was today. But had they been grateful> Hardly. Instead, each success had brought forth greater demands. He felt like a miller’s daughter, except that he had no Rumplestiltskin to aid him in his endeavors. 

 

Watching the moon appear from behind the clouds, he wondered why the old stories his mother had told him as a child were coming back to him. Was it some kind of warning? Whs he in danger of making some kind of mistake? Well, if he did, he would simply correct it, learn from it, and move on.

 

“Hey, how about giving us a hand,” Jenny called out to him.

 

“And no clapping,” Ted added. “We’ve got to get the room finished before we head home. Tomorrow’s the Talent Market and we want to be at our best both here and in our minds.”

 

“So, then what do we do?”

 

“Well, we’re registered now, so all we need to do is present ourselves to the talent and see if anyone wants to make a contract with us.” Jenny said.

 

“I just hope our being new doesn’t scare them off,” Bryce admitted.

 

“If anything,” Kevin told them. “I would think that it would make them more keen to join us. We’re not old and jaded.”

 

“But they may mistake us from children playing house,” Ted pointed out. “We need to look, dress, and act the part if we’re going to do this successfully.”

 

“So, we need to do a shopping trip now, before the stores close.”

 

“We’d better hurry,” Bryce said. “We only have twenty minutes once we get there.”

 

They decided not to shop at Zik Zak, but instead went to a clothing store called Habber & Dasher’s which was  on the edge of town.

 

Jenny looked at the jewelry first. She wanted something simple that would make her look more mature than the sixteen that she was.

 

After a moment, she selected a small gold cross with an emerald at its center. She put it in the shopping cart, and then went to join the boys who were looking at a variety of three piece suits.

 

“I’ll be in the women’s department,” she told them as she went to where the ladies’ suits were located.

 

Ted turned to Bryce. “Find anything?” he asked as Bryce stood in the cubicle, the sensors and scale getting his weight and measurements as he pressed a few selection buttons.

 

“I like this one,” he told them, bringing up a picture of a simple dark blue suit with a light pink button down shirt.

 

“Let’s see how it looks on you,” Ted suggested.

 

Bryce pressed the try on button and an image of himself in the suit appeared in the faux mirror.

 

“Looks good,” Kevin agreed. “You should definitely get that one.”

 

Ted was the next of the three boys to get a suit. His was dark forest green with a brown button down shirt and a green faux tie. 

 

“Not bad,” Bryce remarked.

 

“Never seen a suit with a brown shirt before,” Kevin admitted. “But it works with the green. Now it’s my turn.”

 

Kevin stepped into the square and pressed the buttons. In a short time, he had selected his outfit. It was a sky blue suit with a white shirt and ascot.

 

“Lose the ascot,” Ted suggested. “It looks pompous.”

 

Bryce nodded. “I think he’s right. “Those colors would look best without a neck piece. Or at most a ribbon-style one.”

 

Kevin typed a button and the ascot was replaced by a simple men’s cross necklace in silver.

 

“Too religious,” Ted pointed out.

 

“Too bad,” Kevin replied.

 

“No arguing,” Bryce suggested. “I read once that a cross can be a sign that one is going through a personal struggle. Let it lie at that.”

 

“Are we going to have a religious program?” asked Jenny who had joined them just after Kevin had finished selecting his outfit.

 

“Actually we were just talking about Kevin’s cross,” Bryce remarked, noting that Jenny had one in her collection as well. “I see you’ve also picked one out.”

 

“Shall we pay for these?” Ted suggested. “Then we can get home and get some sleep.”

 

The four teens paid for their purchases and made their way back home, dropping off Kevin before Bryce, Jenny, and Ted reached their own apartment.

 

The three of them put their new clothes in their respective closets, then joined each other in the living room.

 

“Well,” Jenny said, “we want to be at the Talent Market first thing, so we’d better all get to bed now.”

 

“Yes, mom,” Bryce teased.

 

“Good night, Jen,” Ted laughed.

 

Jenny rolled her eyes in a friendly manner, then headed to her room.

 

Bryce and Ted each headed to their room and turned in for the night.

  
  


\-----

 

Edison sat on the end of the bed with a cup of decaf in his hand. He took a sip as Lumpy’s Proletariat played on the television screen. Ignoring it, Edison spoke.

 

“Max,” he said to the screen.

 

“You called?” Max appeared on the screen.

 

“What would you say if I told you I’m thinking of quitting Network 23?” Edison asked.

 

“I’d say you’re crazy. Crazy.” Max told him. “Then I’d say that it was a pretty risky idea. And fi-fi-finally I’d ask “where will you do your heroics if not- if not- if not at Network 23.”

 

“At Bryce’s network,” Edison explained. “TechnoVision.”

 

“So, Bryce thinks he can just build- just build- just build a network from the ground up?” Max inquired.

 

“It seems so,” Edison nodded. “And I for one am planning to help him succeed.”

 

“So why ask my- my- my advice?” Max wanted to know.

 

“I suppose I wanted to hear how the idea sounded a few hours after it was presented,” Edison replied.

 

“So, are you going to join Bryce’s network then?” Max asked. “Think they’ve got a ch-ch-chance?”

 

“I think so,” Edison decided. “And I think I’ve got just the topic to start it off.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

##  Chapter 06

 

Bryce, Jenny, Ted, and Kevin were a block away from the Talent Market when they heard a familiar voice call out to them.

 

“Bryce Lynch?”

 

Bryce turned and saw another boy from ACS jogging up to meet them.

 

“Nate?” he asked.

 

Nate grinned at him. “You know, I heard this crazy rumor that some of us were going to try and start our own network. And now I see you four heading toward the Talent Market, and in very fancy suits.  I guess it must be true.”

 

“We’ve got room for more,” Jenny offered.

 

“Phew, that was close,” Nate said, falling in step with them.

 

“Huh?” Bryce asked.

 

“Old story,” Jenny told him. “There’s a variety of versions, of course. But the long and short of it is that there is either a lift or car or some other such vehicle.”

 

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Ted said. “It starts with a man dreaming of a hearse. The driver says  _ room for one more _ and the man wakes up screaming. He then goes to an office building where he’s applied for a job and is supposed to start that day. When he gets to the lift, the man running it looks like the hearse driver for the dream. Anyhow, he also says  _ room for one more _ and the man refuses to get on. A moment later, the lift crashes and everyone dies.”

 

“So, it’s like the story of death in the marketplace,” Bryce recalled.

 

“Actually, it’s pretty much the opposite of that story. In the one you’re speaking of, Death is inevitable. In the first one, it’s avoided because of the dream or vision or whatever it turned out to be.”

 

“Well, we’re here,” Ted said as they arrived at the Talent Market. “

 

The man at the door spoke without looking up.

 

“Network?”

 

“TechnoVision,” Bryce told him.

 

“Chairman?”

 

“Bryce Lynch,” Bryce said.

 

It had been decided that Bryce would be their Chairman with Jenny as Executive Vice President, and Kevin as Managing Director with Ted and Nate as non-executive Directors. 

“Welcome to the Talent Market,” the man told them in a bored voice. “Please present your proof of admission card at each booth or stage. Have a nice day.”

 

Bryce, Jenny, Kevin, Ted, and Nate went inside and began to look around.

 

The first stage featured an acting troupe who were performing a Shakespearean play.

 

“Hm,” Jenny said, recalling something her mother had once told her about.  She turned to Bryce. “We could use a show of this type.”

 

“Poetry,” Bryce sighed.

 

“At least it’s classical,” Jenny pointed out. “Anyhow, I was thinking of a thing called  _ Shakespeare in the Park _ that used to take place in certain places. Then it changed in my mind to  _ Shakespeare in London _ which gave me the idea of doing a show where the characters of William Shakespeare all live in a four block radius in the city.”

 

“I suppose Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would be sharing an apartment?” Bryce suggested. “Or are they still dead?” He gave a small chuckle.

 

One of the actors noticed them.  “Looks like we’ve finally got an audience,” he told the others. Let’s see what the kiddies have to say.”

 

He went to the edge of the stage and bowed theatrically.

 

“Bernard King, at your service,” he said. “And you are?”

 

“Bryce Lynch,” Bryce presented the card which read  _ Bryce Lynch. Chairman. TechnoVision. _

 

“Pleased,” Bernard offered his hand which Bryce shook. “So, you’re interested in our little show?”

 

“Not precisely as is,” Jenny admitted. “But we have an idea that your show inspired and we thought you might like to hear it.”

 

Bernard sat on the edge of the stage and summoned the rest of the troupe to join them.

 

“Let’s hear it,” he offered.

 

“Well, it takes place in modern times, with a few twists to the characters. Nothing big, of course. Just enough to make them fit,” Jenny said.

 

“No,” Bryce shook his head. “Leave them as they are. Put them in the current time and in London. But focus the show on the way they  _ don’t _ fit in. Let that be the central conflict.”

 

“I like it,” Bernard said. “What about you, George? William?”

 

George and William both nodded.

 

Kevin chuckled a mite at the coincidence of a man who was doing Shakespeare being named William.

 

“You guys look awfully young,” William told them, sounding slightly skeptical. “What experience do you have with television?”

 

“We were each Head of Research and Development at our networks,” Bryce explained to William and the others. 

 

“Who else is signed up with you, talent-wise I mean?”

 

“You’ll be the first definite,” Jenny admitted. “But we’re also trying to get Edison Carter. Bryce is friends with him, so we’ve got a good chance at it.”

 

“We’re also looking at getting Edison’s controller to head up an old fashioned talk show,” Bryce added. “And getting Tad Greenly to do some voice acting for a number of cartoon shows.”

 

“You’ll need more than one voice actor,” Bernard told them. “We’d be willing to work in that capacity as well.”

 

“Excellent,” Ted said, happily.

 

“So where is your network located?” George asked.

 

“At the Shard,” Kevin told them.

 

“You managed to get the Shard as your premises?” George asked, impressed.

 

“Used most of my savings to do it,” Kevin admitted. “It took a little time, but we’ve got some of the rooms furnished.”

 

“We can help you with setting up the stage rooms,” William offered. “For a small fee, of course.”

 

“We’ll work it into your salary,” Bryce offered.

 

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Lynch,” Bernard said as he and Bryce shook hands.

 

“Excellent,” Bryce said. “We’ll write up a contract and present it to you by the end of the week.”

 

\-----

 

Edison walked into Network 23 for the last time. He had made up his mind. Bryce was naive, but he was also honest. And it would be refreshing to work for someone who didn’t lie to or manipulate him.

 

He went into Murray’s office and placed his Network 23 vidicam down on the desk.

 

“Have you found Bryce?” Murray asked. “Is he coming back to Network 23?”

 

“Yes, and no,” Edison replied. “I did find him, and he's not coming back. Also, I’m retiring from Network 23 as of this minute.”

 

Murray stared at him in horror.

 

“You’re  _ what _ ?”

 

“Retiring,” Edison told him. “I’ve been made a better offer and after sleeping on it, I’ve decided to take it.”

 

“You can’t be serious,” Murray said. “I forbid it.”

 

“Sorry,” Edison said, not really sorry at all. “I’ll see you around, Murray,”

 

Murray stared in horror as Edison turned and walked out the door. He couldn’t believe it. Bryce was one thing. But Edison?

 

He tapped the code for the boardroom view phone

 

“Murray,” Cheviot said, seeing his expression. “I take it Bryce isn’t coming back,then?”

 

“I’m afraid it’s worse,” Murray said. “Apparently he’s also talked Edison into quitting.”

 

The members of the board who were present stared at him in horror. Edison Carter’s show was their biggest ratings grabber. It would be a serious blow to Network 23 if he left!

 

“He can’t!” Ashwell said, emotively.

 

“Calm down, Ashwell, we’ll get through it.” Cheviot told him. “Let’s just focus.  Okay, Murray, did he say if he was working with someone else? Or is he freelancing?”

 

“He told me he had a better offer,” Murray said. 

 

“Well, we’ll just have to counter it,” Cheviot told him.

 

“I think he’s been looking for an excuse ever since this network tried using guerilla tactics to get Bryce back,” Murray admitted. “That didn’t make him too happy.”

 

“I admit, my instructions for Bryce’s return were a bit vague,” Cheviot said. “But I never outright told those men to abduct him.”

 

“Never outright told them,” Edison said. “No, you did not. You just gave them the option without putting your signature on it.”

 

“If that’s how you feel, Carter…” Cheviot said. “Then I guess there’s nothing more to be said. I can’t work with a reporter who does not respect this network.”

 

“Then, goodbye it is,” Edison said closing the communication.”

 

*******

 

While this had been going on, Bryce and his group had managed to track down Tad Greenly. The man was in a voice actors’ booth with others of his ilk.

 

“This is no place for autographs, kiddies,” he said sternly.

 

Bryce handed him the card for their network.

 

“TechnoVision hm?” Tad said. “What can you offer me?”

 

“We’d like to hire a few voice actors,” Bryce said. “I’m familiar with your work on Network 23. I used to work there myself as head of R&D.”

 

“And now you run your own network,” Tad concluded. “Very well. Again, what can you offer me?”

 

Bryce was unsure of how to respond. But Ted stepped forward. “I have enough in my father’s estate account to give you a regular salary of twenty.”

 

“Monthly or bi-monthly,” Tad inquired.

 

“Monthly,” Ted told him. “We can renegotiate for a bigger salary when we get off the ground.”

 

“What are the shows about,” Tad wanted to know.

 

“We’re still working on the details,” Bryce explained. “We have some kids in mind who are very good artists. Perhaps between the two groups you can come up with something brilliant.”

 

“So you’re giving us creative license,” Tad smiled. “Very well. You have a deal.”

 

*****

 

Edison arrived at the Talent Market ten minutes after Bryce and his team had made the agreement with the voice actors. After several minutes of searching, he located the five teenagers.

 

“I’ve made up my mind,” he said. “I’d like to start working for TechnoVision.”

 

“Excellent,” Bryce said, agreeably. “We’ll work out your contract over lunch.”

 

“I’m sure it will be equitable,” Edison said. 

 

“And Theora?” Bryce asked.

 

“I haven’t spoken to her since yesterday, so I don’t know,” Edison admitted. “I think she might join, though.”

 

“That’s great,” Jenny told them. “Having you two on board is really going to improve our reputation. Especially since we’ve decided to let you have free reign on your reports. Bryce trusts you to bring in honest and fair reports. And we see no reason to censor them as long as they don’t risk censure from the censor board.”

 

“Thank you,” Edison said.

 

*****

 

By the time Theora arrived at the talent market, the word had reached all ears that Edison Carter had signed up with a fledgling network that was run by a panel of very intelligent teenagers.

 

Two more actors and three reporters had signed on with TechnoVision based on Edison’s reputation alone.

 

“Surely someone is bound to take advantage,” one man remarked.

 

“Not  _ those  _ kids,” a woman shook her head. “They’ve got some serious brain on them.”

 

“So, what do you think? Shall we see if they’re willing to sign us on?” came a voice from another stage nearby.

 

“Well, they managed to wrangle a deal with Edison Carter,” his friend replied.

 

It seemed that Edison’s agreement to sign on had, indeed worked a miracle for Bryce’s network.

 

Theora soon found Bryce and his cronies talking to a couple of women who were in their late sixties.

 

“So, you’ll be willing to host a variety show,” Jenny was saying as Theora approached. “That’s great. Would you rather host a show featuring celebrities, people of the street, or a combination of both?”

 

“We’d like to get a celebrity or two,” the older woman said. “But we’d also like to keep the majority of it for amateur entertainers. In homage to our roots as fringers. You understand.”

 

“Perfectly,” Bryce said. “I had fairly humble beginnings myself. My parents were in middle management at a local clothing store before Zik Zak took over everything. Most of their savings went to send me to ACS. I’ve tried to send them what I could, though we haven’t met in years. Forgive me, I’m rambling. Let’s talk about your contract.”

 

“It’s okay,” the old woman told him. “That’s how it is with women my age. People see us as being very easy to talk to.”

 

“Bryce,” Theora said. “I’ve thought about your offer. I’m in. Network 23 is getting to be too full of itself. I think it needs a decent competitor that can keep it in line.”

 

“And you think our network will be the one to do it?” Jenny asked.

 

“I think your network is going to make television turn over a new leaf.” Theora replied.

 

“Glad to hear it,” Bryce said, cheerfully. “Would you be willing to negotiate a contract over lunch when we work out Edison’s? You will be spending some time as he control as discussed, correct?”

 

“Yes,” Theora said. “And some mornings as a talk show host.”

 

“And we’ll be working as variety show hosts,” the taller of the two old ladies told her. “My names Maggie, by the way, Maggie Pye. But you can call me Magpie. All my friends do. And this is my best friend Laurel. Her last name used to be F-i-s-h, but she changed it to G-h-o-t-i. Still pronounces it ‘fish’, though.”

 

“Of course,” Bryce recalled. “Gh as in laugh, o as in women, and ti as in potion.”

 

“Clever,” Theora agreed, also remembering the old saw.  “So, tell me all about your show.”

 

“It is going to be a simple talent show,” Magpie told Theora and the others. “Featuring one celebrity per broadcast, plus a plethora of local talent from the city and the fringes.”

 

“You should feature Francis,” Theora suggested. “She’s a very talented musician. And her daughter Mink is a good dancer, too.”

 

“We can certain do that,” Laurel agreed. 

 

“We’d better move on,” Jenny told them. “We’ve got less than an hour left and we still need to find a game show and an educational show.”

 

“Here’s our number,” Magpie told Bryce, handing him an index card with a view-phone number written on it. 

 

“We’ll call you to arrange a meeting time for our contract,” Bryce promised, shaking her hand. He also shook Laurel’s.

 

Pocketing the index card, Bryce led the group to the game show cluster. Several stages were in use by men and women who were hosting a variety of game shows. All of them looked interesting.

 

One in particular caught Bryce’s eye. The board consisted of nine spaces in a three by three square. The spaces were empty at first. But as the players answered questions, they were given cards to put in those spaces.

 

When the players each had a minimum of seven cards, the game proceeded to the card-game level.  Highest points went first. They handed the first card to an attractive woman. 

 

The cards each consisted of a variety of pictures, similar to those found on a mah-jongg set, but with a series of different numbers and meteorological symbols on the corners.

 

Before the card game began, a slot machine was spun to determine mode of play.

 

“Standard mode,” the MC announced as the slot machine came to a stop.

 

The cards were placed, matching cards flipping others and raising that player’s card count.

 

“Interesting game,” Bryce told the MC when the demo hand was over.

 

“Thank you,” the MC told him.  “Charles Ringer,” he offered his hand.

 

Bryce shook it. “Bryce Lynch,” he replied.

 

“Yes, from TechnoVision. The network that pulled Edison Carter away from Network 23. I’ve heard good things about you.”

 

“Thanks,” Bryce said. “So, what’s your game called?”

 

“Thrice by Three,” Charles replied. “As you saw, the concept is quite simple. There are other modes, mind you. One adds the ability to also match weather symbols. Another allows you to match a number equal to the multiple of the two sides.”

 

“Try to limit that the number of modes to three,” Bryce suggested. “Too many might confuse and lose your audience.”

 

“Good point,” Charles agreed.

 

“So, you willing to sign up with us, then?” Bryce asked.

 

“Agreed,” Charles replied. “When should we meet up to arrange our contract? We can do Tuesday.”

 

“Tuesday will be fine,” Bryce told him. “Ten AM?”

 

“Of course, and you’re located…”

 

“The Shard,” Bryce said, simply.

 

“Very well,” Charles agreed. “The Shard on Tuesday at ten AM.”

 

Ted came over a moment later.

 

“I’ve found an educational show,” he told them. “It’s called Stage FIve. It uses skits to tell important life lessons while at the same time teaching grade school lessons.”

 

“Let’s go have a look,” Jenny suggested.

 

Bryce nodded and the group went over to check out Stage Five.


	7. Chapter 7

##  Chapter 07

 

Edison and Theora sat across from Bryce and Jenny at the Fresh Start. 

 

Bryce handed a printed sheet of paper to Edison and another to Theora.

 

“These are hard copies of your contracts,” he told them. “Please look through them and see if there are any points you consider unfair or which you would like clarified.”

 

Edison and Theora each studied their contracts. 

 

“Looks okay,” Edison remarked, taking out a pen and signing his while Theora signed hers.

 

Bryce took back the contracts and put them back into the folder. 

 

Their meals came and they ate quietly, the silence punctuated occasionally by noises from a nearby table.

 

When dinner was over, Edison paid the check, though Bryce had made a bona fide attempt to do so.

 

“This one’s on me,” Edison had said. “Save your credits for TechnoVision.”

 

“Thanks, Edison,” Bryce had said in reply. “Oh, by the way, if you still want to cover the teenager story, I think it would be a brilliant idea.”

 

“Thanks,” Edison smiled. “I feel the same way.”

 

“Since Miss Jones is taking on the job of morning talk show host as well as controller,” Jenny suggested, “why do a two-pronged attack on the subject. I’m sure that we could get a couple of teenagers, perhaps on from Syberis Condos and one from the Fringes, to do interviews.”

 

“We could maybe showcase the difference between the treatment of the privileged versus that of the Blanks,” Bryce added.

 

“I think that’s brilliant, Bryce,” Theora told him.

 

Bryce smiled. Things were looking up, but he knew the fledgling network, TechnoVision, had a long way to go.

 


End file.
